Geological Mapping, Structural Setting and Petrographic Description of the Archean Volcanic Rocks of Mnanka Area, North Mara

Abstract

The Mnanka area is situated within the Musoma Mara Greenstone Belt, the area is near to Nyabigena, Gokona and Nyabirama Gold mines. Mnanka area comprises of the sequence of predominant rhyolitic volcanic rocks, chert and metasediments. Gold mineralizations in Mnanka area is structure controlled and occur mainly as hydrothermal disseminated intrusion related deposits. Hence the predominant observed structures are joints and flow banding. Measurements from flow banding plotted on stereonets using win-TENSOR software has provided an estimate for the general strike of the area lying 070o to 100o dipping at an average range angle of 70o to 85o while data from joints plotted on stereonets suggest multiple deformation events one of which conforms to the East Africa Rift System (striking WSW-ENE, NNE-SSW and N-S)